“But, stretching its supple neck, the serpent looks back and returns: and the other’s hands slide over the loosened coils; the conflict will go eternally, since they wage it on level grounds with equal forces,” writes Marcus Manilius in his astrological poetry. Later in the poem, he describes the astrological influence of Ophiuchus, when the constellation is rising, as one that offers affinity with snakes and protection from poisons, saying, “he renders the forms of snakes innocuous to those born under him; they will receive snakes into the folds of their flowing robes, and will exchange kisses with these poisonous monsters and suffer no harm.”
Suggestions that there are “13 astrological signs” because “the Sun is in the sign of Ophiuchus” between November 30 and December 18 have been published since at least the 1970s, based on the 1930 IAU constellation limits.
In 1970, Steven Schmidt campaigned for a 14-sign zodiac in his book Astrology 14, suggesting Ophiuchus (December 6 to December 31) and Cetus (May 12 to June 6) as new signs. In 20th-century sidereal astrology, Walter Berg took up the subject in his book The 13 Signs of the Zodiac (1995).
Parke Kunkle, an astronomer at the Minnesota Planetarium Society, repeated the idea of “the 13th zodiac sign Ophiuchus” in a remark in January 2011, which made headlines in the popular press.
In This Article...
What exactly is Ophiuchus?
Ophiuchus (/fijuks/), a big constellation crossing the celestial equator, is a vast constellation. Its name is derived from the Ancient Greek o (ophiokhos), which means “serpent-bearer,” and it is frequently shown as a man holding a snake.
Is Ophiuchus a water sign or a fire sign?
Although neither astrology system recognizes Ophiuchus as a sign, some sidereal astrologers may use it in their profession. The serpent-bearer constellation is located between the late degrees of the fixed water sign Scorpio and the early degrees of the mutable fire sign Sagittarius.
What is the zodiac sign of 2020?
The Chinese zodiac years of the Rat are 2032, 2020, 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948, and 1936…
In the Chinese zodiac cycle, the Rat is the first sign.
Every 12 years, a Rat year occurs.
According to the Chinese zodiac fable, the quick-witted rat begged the hardworking ox to take him on a ride across the river in the Jade Emperor’s race to choose the zodiac animals, and leapt down before the ox crossed the finish line. The rat was the first of the zodiac animals to win the race, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.
Is Ophiuchus an uncommon species?
Aries is the second rarest zodiac sign, followed by Sagittarius, both of which are fire signs, according to Stardust. “Aries is the first sign of the zodiac,” Stardust explains, noting that this sign is known for having a spark of creativity that “gets everyone up and moving.” The third rarest zodiac sign, Sagittarius, “falls during the autumn season and is renowned to be adventurous and free-spirited,” according to Stardust.
What is the distance between Ophiuchus and Earth?
With an area of 948 square degrees, Ophiuchus is the 11th largest constellation in the sky. It’s one among the 15 constellations that may be seen from the equator. It can be viewed at latitudes between +80 and -80 in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ3). Aquila, Hercules, Libra, Sagittarius, Scorpius, and Serpens are the constellations that are close by.
Rasalhague, Alpha Ophiuchi, is the brightest star in the constellation, with an apparent magnitude of 2.08. The Ophiuchids, Northern May Ophiuchids, Southern May Ophiuchids, and Theta Ophiuchids are the four meteor showers associated with the constellation.
Along with Aquila, Ara, Centaurus, Corona Australis, Corvus, Crater, Crux, Cygnus, Hercules, Hydra, Lupus, Lyra, Sagitta, Scutum, Sextans, Serpens, Triangulum Australe, and Vulpecula, Ophiuchus is part of the Hercules constellation family.
Messier 9 (M9, NGC 6333), Messier 10 (M10, NGC 6254), Messier 12 (M12, NGC 6218), Messier 14 (M14, NGC 6402), Messier 19 (M19, NGC 6273), Messier 62 (M62, NGC 6266), and Messier 107 (M107, NGC 6266) are the Messier objects in Ophiuchus (M107, NGC 6171). There are additional seven known planets among the stars.
There are 11 named stars in this constellation. Barnard’s Star, Cebalrai, Guniibuu, Mahsati, Marfik, Rasalhague, Rosaladecastro, Sabik, Timir, Yed Posterior, and Yed Prior are the proper names of stars that have been formally accepted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
What are the signs that I’m an Ophiuchus?
These indicators, on the other hand, are not well calibrated. Using a celestial planisphere, we can observe that the Sun is in one of the lesser-known constellations, Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer or snake charmer, between November 30 and December 18. Those born between these dates are obligated to be born under the zodiac sign of Ophiuchus.
If we continue to observe the link between the location of the Sun and the background of stars, we will notice that very little corresponds to the horoscope-based calendar of signs:
TABLE: Actual zodiac signs, as defined by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) constellation boundaries established in 1930.
Why does Ophiuchus not appear in the horoscope as a zodiac constellation? Why aren’t the dates the same? The reason for this is that when the horoscope was created 2,500 years ago in ancient Babylon, the Sun crossed over each of the zodiac constellations on different dates than it does today, around four weeks sooner.
According to modern scientists, the Sun enters Aries on April 19 every year like clockwork. The Sun, however, is like a clock that lags about a quarter of an hour each year due to the Earth’s axial precession. Over many years, the delay has grown to the point where the Sun now enters Aries almost a month after the Babylonians recorded the date and the horoscopes predict.
Theoretically, each person’s horoscope correlates to the sign that comes before the one that their modern horoscope represents. This, however, is not the case. The Sun only spends a week crossing Scorpio, and a month and a half in Virgo; these passage times are the same now as they were 2,500 years ago, and differ greatly from the Babylonian astrologers’ arbitrary division of one month for each sign of the horoscope, which omitted Ophiuchus in favor of a rounder number of 12 signs, as in the 12-month calendar.
Babylonian astrologers were able to determine when summer would arrive and when the best time to harvest would be by using that calendar. The social authority this gave them prompted them to broaden their forecasts to include things like the outcome of a fight or an individual’s characteristics based on their zodiac sign.
What hue is Ophiuchus?
Rasalhague, which means “Head of the Snake Charmer” in Arabic, is another name for the star. The knees of Ophiuchus are marked by two stars: Eta Ophiuchi and Zeta Ophiuchi, a hot blue giant with a reddish tint due to interstellar dust.
What year was it in 2021?
The Ox’s most important years are now 2033, 2021, 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, and 1937. Every 12 years, an Ox year occurs. In the Chinese Zodiac, the zodiac sign Ox is positioned second.
The year 2021 is the Year of the Ox, which begins on February 12th and ends on January 31st, 2022. It’s the year of the Metal Ox. The year 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger.
The Ox is a symbol of diligence, power, honesty, down-to-earth persistence, and riches as the strongest animal of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, known as “the helpful helper” in Chinese farming.
Is the year 2021 a good one for Rat?
The year 2021 is an Ox year, and the fortunes of Rat people (those born in a Rat year) are quite fortunate. The fortunes of Rat individuals will be extremely smooth since the zodiac Rat and the zodiac Ox have a favorable relationship. Rats can obtain aid from others this year, regardless of whether they are having challenges in their employment or education.
However, Rats’ workload is expected to expand as a result of their good professional luck. Due to high-intensity employment and academic pressure, those born under the sign of the Rat must be cautious about their health in 2021.
Rat people’s emotional lives will be relatively steady this year, despite the lack of romantic luck. With other areas of luck usually good, Rat people’s emotional lives will be relatively stable. Rats can be happy as long as they are their natural selves.
Career Rats’ 2021 Horoscope
Rats’ professional prospects are gradually improving in 2021, and there will be several options for advancement. Even if they are briefly perplexed and powerless, there will be those who can guide them.
As a result, Rats, if you confidently allow your hands and feet to work hard this year while not worrying about your head, you should be able to seize favorable opportunities on time.